Pencil



H. L. FISCHER.

PENCIL.

1,340,331 Patented May 18, 1920.

position from Fig. 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

HOWARD FISCHER, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNQR, BY MESNZE ASSIGNMENTS, 0F ONE-HALF TO FRANK J'. KRISTOFEK, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

PENCIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1920.

Application filed December 27, 1916. Serial No. 139,102.

particularly adapted to an automatic pencil in which extra marking-leads are carried so that they can be quickly transferred from the magazine to marking position in the pencil barrel.

It is an object of this pencil to use a marking-lead of very small diameter which can be fed automatically out of the pencil barrel as. it is used until the entire marking-lead which is held in writing position, is used up.

It is also an object to longitudinally abrade the surface of the marking-lead as it is ejected from the pencil barrel thereby holding the marking-lead from turning while used in writing and also holding it rigid against lateral movement.

A further object of this device is to have a pencil barrel in which the general appearance is the same as the ordinary pencil after it has been sharpened in a sharpening machine making the forward end conical shaped and having one en'd of the barrel telescope into the other end as themarkinglead is worn away in use.

Other objects and advantages of this device will be more clearly defined in the following specification and claims: a

In the drawing, which forms part of the specification: Figure 1 is an enlarged longitudinal cross section of the pencil.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross section of the pencil illustrating the parts in a diiferent Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the forward end of the pencil.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of the markinglead.

Figs. 5 and 6 are details of an expansion spring used in the pencil.

Figs. 7 and 8 are details of a portion of. the pencil illustrating an alternative form" of the same.

In the drawing A, represents a pencil barrel having a forward tubular shell-like portion B and a rear tubular shell-like portion C. The forward portion B being adapted to telescope or slide into the rear portion C. Cup shaped ends 2 of the expansion spring D are positioned in the forward portion B which are adapted to bear against the inner surface of the rear portion of the pencil barrel C through the openings 3 which are formed in the portion B of the pencil barrel. Thus the cups 2 are adapted to cause sufficient friction between the portions B and C of the barrel so as to prevent them from freely sliding back and forth.

An annular groove 4 is formed on the forward end of the rear portion C in which the cups 2 are adapted to engage when the portions B and C are being pulled apart to prevent easy or accidental separation of the portions B and C. The portions B and C can be'separatedwhen desired by pulling apart and disengaging the cups 2 from the groove 4. a

The portion B has a conical forward end I, in which a lead holding tube E is secured, the rear portion 5 of the tube E being conical in shape. The tube E is rigidly held in place by means of annular grooves 6, formed in the barrel B which engage the outer edge of the portion 5. The forward end of the tube E projects from the conical apex I of the tube B a short distance and is split so as to form self adjusting spring jaws 7 which are adapted to engage the markinglead F as it is ejected from the tube E. The

turningaround while the user is-trying to write on the high side of the lead.

It has been found heretofore that in pencils using a single strip lead, (similar to the lead F,) that unless the lead is held rigid inside the pencil it would turn around in writingand thereby. be impracticable.

The rear portion C of the pencil A carries a rod G which is formed with a helical or volute spring 9 on orie end, the helical spring being illustrated and is/ held in position by means of disks 10 and 11. The rod G passes freely through the opening 12 in the disk 10 and the forward end 13, of the rod G is adapted to be inserted in the tube D so as to bear against the back end of the lead F when the lead F is held in writing position in the tube E of the pencil A as is illustrated in Fig. 1. The rod G is adapted to act as the ejector of the lead F so that in writing the lead F can be ejected a short distance automatically when worn off, thus giving a new marking-lead.

To eject the lead the user of the pencil takes hold of the portion C and bears down against the small projecting portion of the lead or the jaws 7, thereby compressing the spring 9 in the pencil on the end of the rod G and allowing the portions B and C to slide together or telescope. The pressure is then released from the pencil barrel whereupon the spring 9 will expand into the position illustrated in Fig. l and automatically force the lead F out of the tube E through the spring jaws 7 the same distance as the compression of the spring while the portions B and C will remain in the compressed or telescoped position.

As the lead F wears off in use, this operation is repeated untilthe entire lead has been used, the rod G taking the place of the lead F in the tube E as it is ejected and the barrel A of the pencil shortens in length when the lead is used up to the same extent as the length of the lead F when it'was new and first inserted into the tube E. Thus the barrel A is merely slid or drawn back off the lead by degrees as it is used and the lead ex posed. This can be done without the use of the spring end 9 by pressing or sliding the portions B and C together to expose the lead. The rod G is of sufiicient length to extend a short distance through the jaws 7 when moved into extreme forward position in the tube E so as to entirely eject the old lead.

When the old lead is entirely ejected and the rod G withdrawn from the tube E the jaws 7 close automatically into the position illustrated in Fig. 2 thereby closing the forward end of the tube E.

The shell-like portions B and C form a magazine H for extra leads F which can be carried in the pencil barrel. When it is desired to insert a new lead into writing osition in the tube E from the magazine the portions B and C are drawn apart into the position illustrated in Fig. 2. This operation withdrawing the rod G from the tube E sufiiciently to allow one of the extra leads F in the magazine G to automatically slide into the tube E when the pencil barrel is held in vertical position with the jaws downward.

The inner diameter of the tube E is a little larger than the diameter of the leads F, which allows a new lead F to enter the tube E freely when desired and as the jaws 7 are closed, the new lead F is kept from dropping out the tube E.

The rod G is slightly curved so that when it is withdrawn from the passage in the tube E, its forward end will turn away from the inner opening in the tube E to allow a new lead to easily enter the tube E, as is illustrated in Fig. 2.

The conical end 5 of the tube E tends to allow a new lead to readily slide into the tube E. Should more than one lead crowd at the opening of thetube E, in the conical portion 5, a little upward shake of the pencil will allow a lead F to quickly enter the tube E. The pencil is then held horizontally and the ejector or rod G inserted into the tube E by sliding the portions B and C of the pencil together and into the position illustrated in Fig. 1 leaving a new lead F in writing position.

The ejector G holds the lead F against the backward movement in the tube E when writing and the resilient end of the rod G also serves to protect the lead against breakage if the pencil'falls and strikes on the lead allowing the lead to back up in the tube E and again be forced out by the spring on the end of the ejector.

If it is desired to draw or push the writing end of the lead back into the barrel when putting the pencil into the pocket, it is only necessary to draw the portions B and U apart a little and push the projecting end of the lead back withthe finger.

With this pencil the user can always have a marking lead which requires no sharpening and when the projecting lead wears off, it is only necessary to press down on the writing end of the pencil or the marking-lead and when the pressure is released the lead F will be forced out automatically a slight dis tance.

An elongated opening 15, is formed in the portion B of the barrel A through which the marking-leads F can be inserted into the magazine H to fill the same when it is empty. This opening 15 is closed by the portion (7 of the barrel A of the pencil as is illustrated in Fig. 1. The magazine H can also be filled by removing the end C of the barrel from the portion B.

Fig. 7 illustrates an alternative form of construction of pencil in which the barrel portion C is slitted so as to form outwardly projecting spring surfaces 16 which are adapted to bear on the inner circumference of the barrel portion B in place of the spring D so as to form a friction between the barrel portions to prevent them from freely sliding back and forth.

In this construction. the portion C would slide into the portion B of the barrel A.

Fig. 8 illustrates an alternative form of magazine J and a removable end K which carries the eraser of the pencil. When it is desired to fill the magazine J, the cap or end K is removed and the leads F inserted therein.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I

have described the principles of operation of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth within the scope of the following claims 1. In a pencil of the class described having a forward portion formed of thin shellmeans for operating said ejector rod in one direction automatically.

2. In a pencil of the class described hav ing a barrel formed of telescoping portions of tubing, the forward portion having a conical hollow forward end, a tube fixed in said forward end having resilient abrading jaws formed integral therewith for scratching and holding the marln'ng-lead in use, the rear tubular barrel portion being adapted to slide longitudinally over said forward barrel portion and an ejector rod having resilient means formed on one end, fixed in said rear portion of said barrel, for the purposes specified. V

3. In a pencil of the class described, having a forward portion formed of thin shelllike tubing, a rear portion formed of thin shell-like tubing which is adapted to slide over said forward portion, a conical writing end formed on said forward portion, a thin shell-like lead holding tube fixed in said forward portion, spring fingers formed on the outer end of said lead holding tube, sharp inturned ends formed on said spring fingers which are adapted to scratch the marking-lead as it is ejected through said fingers, an ejector rod and resilient means formed integral with the rear end of said ejector which is adapted to hold said ejector in the rear end of said pencil, for the purposes specified.

4. In a pencil of the class described having a shell-like lead holding tube fixed to its forward end, an ejector fixed in the rear end of said pencil the free end of which is adapted to slide in said tube to automatically eject by degrees the lead in said tube by a non-rotary longitudinal movement, a conical rear end formed on said lead holding tube connecting with a magazine in the barrel of said pencil, and spring jaws formed integral with said lead holding tube which are self adjusting to scratch the lead as it is ejected, said jaws being adapted to automatically close the forward end of said lead holding tube when the old lead is ejected and the ejector withdrawn therefrom to allow a new lead to slide into, but

not out of said tube, substantially as described.

5. In a pencil of the class described having a telescoping thin shell-like metal barrel, a shell-like lead holding tube fixed in the forward end of said barrel, self-adjustable spring scratching jaws formed integral with the forward end of said lead holding tube and an ejector rod being formed with a resilient rear end and fixed in the rear portion of said barrel whereby when said barrel is telescoped by a non-rotary-longitudinal movement said ejector will automatically eject the marking-lead through said spring jaws by degrees, substantially as described.

6. In a pencil of the class described, having a lead holding means in its forward end, an ejector fixed in the rear end of said penoil which is adapted to slide in said holding means to eject by degrees the marking-lea in said holding means, a magazine for holding extra leads, said ejector being curved so that when it is withdrawn from'said holding means its free end will turn away from the opening in said holding means to allow a new lead to enter saidholding means.

HOWARD L. FISCHER. 

